Transcript Document

The Adventures of Huckleberry
Finn
by Mark Twain
Chapters 14 through 18
Block G
Jenie Michael.Neil Sharma.Richa Singh.Xiaomei Chen
Characters
Preexisting Characters:
Huck: An adventurous young boy who has run away from his home with Miss
Watson. He is racist at first, but starts to appreciate slaves more, especially
his travel companion Jim.
Jim: An African Slave who has run away from his master Miss Watson and
has joined Huck, he starts to grow attached to Huck and worries for him
New Characters:
Buck: He is a part of the Grangerford family and is around the age of Huck.
Miss Sophia: Twenty year-old who is one of the gentle Grangerfords. She is in
love with Harney Shepherdson, who is on the opposing family whom the
Grangerfords are feuding with
Harney Shepherdson: Part of the Shepherdson family whom the
Grangerfords are feuding with and is the young man who elopes with Miss
Sophia
Col. Grangerford: The patriarch of the Grangerford family who is a
gentleman and well mannered. The Grangerford family follows him like a
leader
Miss Charlotte: The ill-tempered Grangerford
Tom & Bob Grangerford: The young strapping Grangerfords that are strong
Basic Summary: Chapter 14
• Huck starts to tell stories about Kings and Queens to Jim and
how they can do whatever they want. The concept enthralls
Jim.
• Huck then tells Jim the story of King Solomon the Wise,
though Jim doesn't think that Solomon is actually wise.
• Jim and Huck argue whether King Solomon was wise or not.
• Huck finally gives up and concludes
that all black slaves are too stubborn
to reason with and can't be taught.
Quote Analysis (Ch. 14) :
"I doan' k'yer what de widder say, he warn't no wise man
nuther. He had some er de dad-fetchedes' ways I ever see. Does
you know bout dat chile dat he 'uz gwyne to cop in two?"
(Twain, 70)
Translation:
I don't care what the widow says; he wasn't a wise man. He had
some of the wildest ways I've ever seen. Do you know about that
child that he was going to chop in two?
Analysis:
This quote, by Jim, is a challenge to Huck. This is a big step, as
far as their relationship goes; Jim is almost demanding Huck's
respect. He not only tells Huck that he is wrong, but he says
that the widow is wrong, and even more, thay he "doan' k'yer
what de widder say." Since negros are never supposed to know
anything that a white person doesn't, this challenge is more
than just a silly squabble between friends; it is a fight for power,
and for respect.
Jenie Michael
Quote Analysis (Ch. 14) :
"I see it warn't no use wasting words - you can't learn a n***er to
argue. So I quit." (Twain, 72)
Analysis:
Despite Jim's attempt to gain Huck's respect or at least
acknowledgement of his knowledge, Huck is too stubborn to cede.
Instead of admitting the possibility that he's wrong, he tells the
reader that he gave up because there wasn't any "use wasting
words," because there was no way Jim could ever understand.
However, he may have just had no counter argument to Jim's
point.
Jenie Michael
Basic Summary: Chapter 15
• Huck and Jim try to get to Cairo, Ohio so that Jim can be
free, but they get stuck in foggy weather.
• While Huck is on the canoe, the weather gets foggier and he
gets separated from the raft and Jim, and then lost.
• Finally Huck ends up back on the shore to find Jim asleep.
• Jim relays the story of the fog and getting lost to him, but
Huck tries to trick Jim into thinking it was all a dream.
• Jim at first believes him but
then sees dirt and debris
around the raft and gets
angry at Huck and tells him
how worried he had been.
• Huck feels bad for hurting
Jim and vows never to trick
him again.
Quote Analysis (Ch. 15):
"Well this is too many for me, Jim. I hain't seen no fog, nor no
islands, nor no troubles, nor nothing...you went to sleep about
ten minutes ago, and I reckon I done the same...of course
you've been dreaming." (Twain, 76)
Analysis:
This quote further develops or confirms Huck's character as a
trickster; he knows perfectly well that everything Jim has been
describing is accurate and true, but for his own personal
amusement, he plays with Jim's mind.
Jenie Michael
Quote Analysis (Ch. 15):
"It was fifteen minutes before I could work myself up to go and
humble myself to a n***er; but I done it, and I warn't ever
sorry for it afterward, neither. I didn't do him no more mean
tricks, and I wouldn't done that on if I'd 'a' knowed it would
make him feel that way." (Twain, 78)
Analysis:
At this point, Huck realizes that blacks do feel, that they are
humans. He understands that what he did was wrong, and not
because the widow slapped him on the wrist, but because he
recognized Jim's pain. This really shows Huck's growth as a
person, and his progress toward understanding equality and
pulling away from racism.
Jenie Michael
Basic Summary: Chapter 16
• Jim is getting excited to finally be free in Cairo but
Huck starts to feel guilty for what he has done.
• Huck thinks to himself that he will give Jim up but
after Jim says how Huck was the only one to keep
his promise to him, he decides against it.
• Huck meets two men who want to search his raft
for run away slaves; Huck makes up a lie that his
family is on board and that they have small pox so the men leave
him alone.
• He still feels somewhat bad for not giving Jim up but then realizes,
that if he gave up Jim he would still feel bad anyway.
• Worried that they passed Cairo; stop in the middle of the night to
rest only to have their canoe stolen.
• Their raft collides with a steam boat causing Jim and Huck to be
separated, Huck gets to the shore only to be surrounded by dogs.
Quote Analysis (Ch. 16)(Xiaomei Chen):
"They went off and I got aboard the raft, feeling bad and low, because I
knowed very well I had done wrong, and I see it warn't no use for me to
try to learn to do right...s'pose you'd 'a' done right and give Jim up,
would you felt better than what you do now? No, says I, I'd feel bad-I'd
feel just the same way I do now...what's the use you learning to do right
when it's troublesome to do right and ain't no trouble to do wrong, and
the wages is just the same? I was stuck. I couldn't answer that" (Twain
82).
Analysis:
What Huck is thinking points out how two "good" actions are conflicting.
Huck does not want to harm Jim, but also wants to be loyal to Miss
Watson. His thoughts show that although slaves has to be freed, it would
be wrong to just take away all the slaves from the owner because back
then they were still properties and stealing property was not right. It
proves that everyone is responsible for allowing slavery and the owners
should not be the only ones punished. The process of freeing slaves is not
as simple as it seems.
Quote Analysis (Ch. 16)(Xiaomei Chen):
"'Dah you goes, de ole true Huck; de on'y white genlman dat
ever kep' his promise to ole Jim.' Well, I just felt sick" (Twain
81).
Analysis:
Huck has chosen to tell on Jim but was still struggling. The
quote shows that when people are conflicted and do not know
which side to go on, outside input tends to be very influencial.
After Jim spoke to Huck, he feels pressured to side with Jim
because this gave him awareness of the negative effect his
action would cause. This pressure leads to the result that Huck
chose to help Jim out.
Xiaomei Chen
Basic Summary: Chapter 17
• Huck is found by the Grangerfords who are a rich family who take
him in
• Huck tells the Grangerfords that his name is George Jackson.
• He is treated nicely and even given a slave.
• He shares a room with a boy around his own age; Buck.
• Huck admires the Grangerfords's nice house and seemingly perfect
life.
• He starts to learn a bit about the Grangerfords family and their dead
daughter Emmeline.
• Huck learns that Emmeline was a very
good artist and poet who was also very
smart culturally.
• Huck reads some of Emmeline's poetry and
looks at the paintings that she had made
which she enjoys.
Quote Analysis (Ch. 17):
"Buck looked about as old as me - thirteen or fourteen or along
there, though he was a little bigger than me...He came in
gaping and digging one fist into his eyes, and he was dragging
a gun along with the other one." (Twain, 88)
Analysis:
This quote introduces a character who is meant as a sort of foil
to Huck; and Twain even gives him a similar name. Buck is the
same age as Huck, though a great deal different. Buck has
grown up with two parents, and a lavish and rich lifestyle.
Huck, on the other hand, has grown up with one unsuited
parent, and a less than extravagant upbringing.
Jenie Michael
Quote Analysis (Ch. 17):
"Every time a man died, or a woman died, or a child died, she
would be on hand with her "tribute" before he was cold."
(Twain, 92)
Analysis:
This quote is an example of irony: In this quote, "she" is
Emmeline Grangerford. Emmeline died at a young age, which
is ironic since she was constantly writing for and about dead
people. She seemed enthralled with the idea with death, and
then she was able to experience it earlier than she had
probably planned on it.
Jenie Michael
Basic Summary: Chapter 18 Continued
• Huck finds out that Jim was right behind him
when they were swimming to shore but was
separated from Huck and had to stay with the
Grangerford's slaves, and tells him he got the
raft back.
• The next day he finds that everyone is gone and
his slave Jack tells him that Miss Sophia ran
away with Harney to elope and this has
infuriated the Grangerfords and the
Shepherdsons.
• When he is leaving the Grangerfords house he
gets caught in the middle of the feuding family and hears gun shots
and hides in a tree.
• After he gets down from the tree he finds Buck and another
Grangerford dead- this saddens Huck because Buck was his friend
• Huck finds Jim and they run off together and escape the feud
between the Grangerfords and the Shepherdsons
Basic Summary: Chapter 18
• Huck admires the members of the family and how smart and
polite they are i.e. Col. Grangerford, Miss Sophia, Bill &
Tom
• Huck and Buck walk through the woods and come across
Harney Shepherdson, Buck shoots at Harney, then he starts
to chase after the boys and shoot at them
• Huck asks why he shot at Harney and Buck tells him about
the feud between the Grangerfords and Shephersons and
how many have died from each side
• Even though they hate one another Buck says that both the
Grangerfords and Shepherdsons are brave
• After a day at church Miss Sophia asks Huck to get the
Testament she left at the church, Huck agrees to it
• Finds it and gives it back to Miss Sophia but finds a note that
says "Half past two" (Twain 99)
• Huck's slave Jack tells him he wants to show him some
water moccasins but instead reunites him with Jim
Quote Analysis (Ch. 18):
"We said there weren't no home like a raft" (Twain 105).
Analysis:
Huck and Jim escaped from the chaos in society and returned to
the peaceful raft. It represents how both enjoy being away from
society's rules and be able to act indipendently.
The use of "we" indicates that they both consider the raft to be
their home, that they are both agreeing and shares a common
feeling. Huck starts to see Jim as a close conpanion instead of a
slave, and even as a family member.
Xiaomei Chen
Quote Analysis (Ch. 18):
"It was Jim's voice-nothing ever sounded so good" (Twain 104).
Analysis:
The fact that Huck is so pleased to meet Jim again shows
Huck's growth, having less racist views. It seems that he no
longer cares about whether or not Jim is black, and is getting to
know Jim well, leading to a stronger relationship, where Huck
understands that Jim could be as good as white person.
Xiaomei Chen
Themes! (Richa)
1. It is more important to follow your conscience than
to follow society's norms.
• Huck struggles between turning Jim in or not when the men
come to check his boat.
Themes (contd.)
2. Too much pride can cut through and obscure logic.
• Grangerfords feud with the Shepherdsons
• Sophia and Harney (modern Romeo and Juliet)
Themes (contd.)
3. It is all right to lie sometimes, especially when you
are helping someone, but also not hurting anyone else
either.
• Huck does not turn in Jim and tells the men his 'family' has
smallpox, in order to save Jim and himself.
• He lies to the Grangerfords about who he is and where he is
from.
Discussion Questions:
Question 1 (Richa): In this part of the book, Huck questions
whether Mrs. Watson is a "good person," even though she owns
slaves. What do you think? Can people be "good" even if they
own slaves? What is your definition of a "good person?"
Discussion Questions (contd.)
Question 2:
In chapter 15 Jim clearly
shows that he is glad to see
Huck again, but Huck does
not express that he is
delighted . Why does Huck
decide to joke around in this
kind of situation? Why did he
chose to fool Jim?
Xiaomei Chen
Bibliography
Works Cited
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Behind the Wood Pile. N.d. University of Virginia Library. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Nov. 2011.
<http://etext.virginia.edu/images/modeng/public/Twa2Huc/twah173.jpg>.
Boys behind a pile. N.d. Gutenberg. Web. 12 Nov. 2011.
Buck. N.d. University of Virginia Library. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Nov. 2011.
<http://etext.virginia.edu/images/modeng/public/Twa2Huc/twah150.jpg>.
Huck and Finn on a Raft. N.d. People of Brandeis. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Nov. 2011.
<http://people.brandeis.edu/~teuber/hf_p93.gif>.
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Bibliography (contd.)
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Nov. 2011. <http://www.berkeley.edu/
news/features/2001/huckfinn/slideshow/images/inthecave.gif>.
Kneeling slave in chains. N.d. American Literature. NCSU. Web. 12 Nov. 2011
Twain, Mark. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Needham, Massachusetts : Prentice Hall, 1884. Print.
Young Henry Shepherdson. N.d. Virginia.edu. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Nov.
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Asleep on the Raft. Web. 14 Nov. 2011. <http://www.1st-artgallery.com/thumbnail/233393/1/Asleep-On-The-Raft.jpg>